Officials gathered Wednesday to officially dedicate a segment of U.S. Highway 45 in Macon as the “Sergeant Travis S. Cooper Memorial Highway.”
Rep. Carl Mickens joined Macon Mayor Phillip McGuire, members of Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons’ staff and Cooper family members to unveil the new sign at the Noxubee County Courthouse.
Cooper, 24, of Macon, Miss. died July 16, 2005, from wounds he sustained in Baghdad when an explosive hit his vehicle. Family members describe him as having an instant impact on so many people’s lives, and say he always felt a deep calling to serve his country.
“The world lost a very amazing young man,” said Cooper’s aunt, Levon Cooper. “Travis was the ambitious type, always trying to do more than the average man.”
Now, those traveling U.S. 45 in Macon will be traveling the Sergeant Travis S. Cooper Memorial Highway. Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) crews have installed and unveiled signs along U.S. 45.
Officials hope this designation will serve as a reminder of the selfless actions of Sergeant Cooper for many years to come.
Per House Bill No. 75 of the 2024 Regular Session, a segment of U.S. Highway 45 located within the city limits of Macon, extending approximately one mile shall be designated and known as the “Sergeant Travis S. Cooper Memorial Highway.”
